When buying a computer, many users know all the hardware parts of it. But with the passage of time, it is possible that we forget the different models and components of it. If we ever need to remember it, we can use a free and effective tool like CPU-Z , which we are going to talk about today.
CPU-Z is a free software, developed by Cpuid , which is responsible for collecting information about some of the main devices in our system, including the processor, memory and motherboard. A small benchmark is also included that will help us measure the performance of the CPU so that we can compare it with its database in order to be able to measure said performance.
This program is in charge of reading all the information directly from the CPU and through it we can know:
- Processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels.
- Motherboard and chipset.
- Memory type, size, times, and module specifications (SPD).
- Real-time measurement of the internal frequency of each core, as well as the memory frequency.
That is why this program will be very useful to see the frequency in real time of the CPU, the voltage or the cache, so we can check if its performance is adequate, as well as solve compatibility problems or hardware requirements. In addition, it offers the possibility of exporting any information that you offer us as a text message in TXT and HTML format, so that we can handle the information later.
CPU-Z allows us to know everything about the PC hardware
When we start the application we find a simple interface, although it is composed of a multitude of details about the most important devices that our system is made of. At the top we see that it is made up of 6 information tabs: “CPU”, “Caches”, “Mainboard”, “Memory”, “SPD”, “Graphics” and “Bench”. Given its good organization, it can be easy to use, although more advanced users will surely miss some configuration and customization options.
CPU, the central core of operations
It is undoubtedly the most important tab where we will find all details about the computer’s processor and navigate through its different sections of information such as name, package, technology, specification, family and instructions. We will also find some data on the central speed and the bus speed of your clocks.
With just a glance we can see the speed of the CPU, the bus, the vote and the multiplier, all of them in real time, as well as the number of sockets, cores and threads. Perhaps, we can miss information about the real-time information on temperature and consumption, but in this case it does not show them.
Other components that the program shows us
The next tab we find is the one referring to the cache , so if we are curious about the cache levels, the program will take care of providing all the relevant information in this regard. In this section we will find the hierarchy broken down from L1 of data and instructions, to L2 and L3 that promote information on their sizes and associative lines.
Next, we find the Maindboard tab, where we can see all the details about our motherboard such as the model, manufacturer, revision, chipset or BIOS. Later we can see, in the Memory tab, information about the system memory, the type, size and times. In the SPD tab we find information about the specifications of the module. It includes data on the size of the module, the maximum bandwidth, the part and the serial number, as well as the time tables that are also integrated.
From the Graphics section, we will be able to know data about our graphics card in a graphic way, since to know its details in depth they already have a sister program, called GPU-Z. Finally, we find the Bench tab, where we can observe the performance of our processor by passing a small test in a matter of seconds. It shows us information both in single thread (single core) and in multi thread (multi core). It also offers us the possibility of comparing it with other CPUs to obtain an interesting comparison and to know how our hardware is positioned.
Free Download CPU-Z
CPU-Z is a completely free program that we can download from its website . It is compatible with the Windows operating system, both in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. It has a version with two download options available, a setup and a zip file. The first will help us to install the program on our computer, while the second is an executable file that is not installed and that we can use in a portable way. In this way it will be possible to use it from an external storage device such as a hard disk, pendrive or memory card. Also, avoid our entries in the Windows Registry.
Its latest version available to date is 1.95, which corresponds to its release date on January 21, 2021 , which speaks of the good support and update policy that its developers have, something to keep in mind. in this type of program.
Alternatives to CPU-Z
If we are looking for a program to monitor and know the hardware components of our equipment, we propose some alternatives to CPU-Z that we can take into account:
Quick CPU
It is a software conceived to execute and monitor the performance and characteristics of the CPU of our PC. It also allows us to know other parameters such as temperature, performance, power, voltage, frequency scaling, among other settings. It is an ideal program to know the energy consumption of the computer and make sure we can enjoy its maximum performance. We can download Quick CPU for free from this link .
Windows Task Manager
To know some components of our PC such as the CPU, RAM, hard drives or graphics card, it is possible to do it directly from the Windows Task Manager. From this native Windows 10 application we will be able to know those applications that are running and the different uses that they make of our computer.